Charleston Wedding Officiant

Being a wedding officiant is one of those unlikely occupations. It is rare, extremely rare, that someone grows up aspiring to officiate weddings. I fell into it quite by default. A friend had been doing it for several years and asked me to take some photos at a wedding he was officiating. Eventually, he overbooked one day and I filled in for him. The rest is as they say, history.

That was six years and many wedding ago. Charleston SC is one of the most popular destination wedding locations in the country. Some say more popular than Las Vegas. Where else can you find literally hundreds of venues that offer a backdrop like Charleston. You can choose from one of the many parks to plantations. Charleston has embraced the wedding business by offering creative catering, well equipped event rentals, and some of the best restaurants in the country. An officiant is someone who is legally able to witness the signing of a marriage license. That takes care of the legal part of it, but it is so much more than that. Because it is a destination, most couples can’t bring their pastor with them or they have run away to Charleston to elope.

I could write a book about all of the people I have met along the way and the experiences we have shared. You see, on a wedding day, you get people at their best. After all, it is a celebration! More importantly, it is one of those turning point moments in a persons life that can impact their identity forever. A wedding, a marriage, is a big change in a life’s pattern. When one pattern ends, another must fill its place. A great deal of the weddings we perform are for those getting married for the second time. Usually there are children involved and a wedding ceremony is a great way to invite them into a new union between two people. Realize at the moment the ceremony is completed, a new family is formed. It is exciting to be a part of it.

There has been a recent trend in conducting vow renewal ceremonies. What better place to take a second honeymoon and renew your wedding vows? I have had many a man secretly contact me to set up a surprise vow renewal with their wife. What better way to add to your story of a trip to Charleston? One family set up a surprise for their parents. All were at the beach for a week and realized the parents were celebrating 50 years of marriage. Along with the children and grandchildren we surprised them on the beach late one day with a bouquet of flowers and conducted and photographed one of the sweetest ceremonies I have ever been a part of.